30 Rounds of Rumba
by lochrann
Summary: Brook placed into thirty different themes.
1. Chapter 1

So, I was intrigued by the 30 sentences challenge and managed to claim Brook! I have a couple more written, though I don't know how regularly I'll manage to update.

**Title: **Walk like an Egyptian. Please review.

**Theme: **#10 Hook, Set 3

**Claim:** Brook

**Words: **540

**Rating: **K+

**Warnings: **None

''Brook-San, may I ask you something?'' Robin put her book on her knees when she had a thought. She looked over at the musician who was sitting in the library with her, writing on his music paper, adding comments and musical instructions into a newly composed violin quartet.

He knew he wouldn't be able to play it together with anyone anytime soon but sometimes there were just so many tunes going around in his head that he would have to write them down. Anyway he was hoping that one day he could play all the music to Laboon and maybe find a couple of musicians to help him out.

''Yes, Miss Robin, how can I help you?''

''Have you ever heard of the ancient Egyptians?''

''No, I'm sorry, I've never heard of them.''

''Well, they were an incredibly advanced people, who had a very ample culture. I learnt a lot about them when I was with Baroque Works. Sir Crocodile, the leader of the company, was obsessed with their artifacts and rituals.'' She looked out of one of the portholes that lined the one wall that wasn't filled to the roof with bookshelves. Brook knew that look, it was one that he would feel creeping onto his face (though really he didn't have a face. Skull-joke 'Yohohoho') whenever he thought of the time he spent on that ghost ship without his crew, or shadow for that matter. It was a look that told volumes of how bad a times the two of them had lived through but luckily now came out wiser and happier, now that they were with this crew.

He waited for her to find her own way back out of her memories and when she did she carried on speaking, encouraged by Brooks expectant posture.

''These people believed that their kings would go on to an afterlife after their death and for that purpose they turned them into mummies, to preserve their bodies.''

''Oh, I guess I know what you would like to ask me. Would you like to know what that place was like, the one I went to before the devils-fruit began to effect me?''

Robin looked a little surprised at her skeletal crew mate ''No, actually I just wanted to tell you about the method they used to extract the brain. They would remove all the organs so they would not decompose and then put them in jars with the sarcophagus so the kings could then resume them in the next life. You know, they would shove tools up the dead kings' nostrils and then cut up the brain and pull out the pieces through the nose by a small hook.''

She looked at Brook with a perfectly earnest face.

''That's...ah...very interesting, Miss Robin.'' Brook said finally, for a lack of anything better to say.

Seemingly satisfied with her story, Robin picked up her book and resumed her reading.

Brook knew that he was an strange kind of guy, who didn't always say the right thing, but sometimes he wondered about how weird Robin could be. He wanted to say something to make the situation a little less awkward and then he thought of just the thing ''Ah yes, Miss Robin, may I see your panties?''


	2. Chapter 2

**Title: **Air/Heir

**Theme: **#21 Student, Set 3

**Claim:** Brook

**Words: **199

**Rating: **K+

**Warnings: **None

**AN:** So I just noticed I might have made a mistake with the musical theory at the beginning there, that's due to translational issues and I'm to lazy to find out about all this in English, you'll just have to live with it, sorry! Please review, though.

''Major, minor, minor... major... ahh major, maj...'' _Whack_ ''Ou...minor, diminished'' The young boy with a massive black afro finished, rubbing his arm where his teacher had hit him with his cane. ''We've been through this succession many times, Mr Bones, I was under the illusion that you would have learnt it by now, Yohohoho!''

''Sorry Mr Cavatina.'' the young boy mumbled. The jolly music teacher turned around to go on torturing another pupil. Next to the boy with the big afro sat a girl with blond curls. She turned to her classmate ''You really need to start paying better attention, Brook, he's going to expel you if you don't and this is the best music school there is.''

''I know, but the guys a nutter. I know he's a genius when it comes to music but just look at him. How can one person be that crazy? Honestly, who uses a cane? And that laugh!? He lookes like something from a renaissance fair.''

The little girl giggled but then tried to compose herself ''He really isn't that bad. I think you really shouldn't talk about your dad like that.''

''Pah, I just hope I'll never be like him.''


	3. Chapter 3

**Title: **Shadows and Shades

**Theme: **#12 Sunglasses, Set 3

**Claim:** Brook

**Words: **243

**Rating: **K+

**Warnings: **None

**AN: **I thought of this one because I wrecked my Ray Bans. I get the creeping suspicion that my Brook ficlets are a little down, but I think he's a complex character and not always just a jolly skeleton.

It had been 432 days since Brook had returned to the bony remains of his former life. He had been searching for them for quite some time, but when he finally got there he wasn't sure whether he wouldn't have preferred to just have died, as was natural, and not returned. But now he was back in his body, or more correctly, skeleton and was sailing about the waters on his deserted ship trying to find his way back to reverse mountain. Or forward. He didn't really know how best to get there. What he did know, though, was that he had to get there. He owed this to his Nakama. He owed it to Laboon. Ok, so he didn't know how to get to Laboon, but he knew that once he was there, everything would be fine. He was out on deck contemplating this whilst doing 45 degrees for comfort. Suddenly a wave jostled his vessel and jolted him into an upright position knocking his round sunglasses off in the process. He rushed back to the railing where the glasses had gone over board, just in time to watch them sinking into the jet-black water. He sighed loudly. That now left only his Afro and his song for Laboon to recognise. He hoped he'd be able to get at least one of those back to the wale unharmed, otherwise the whole reunion would get far more complicated than he thought he could handle.


	4. Chapter 4

**Title**: Walking on air

**Theme:** #11 Water, Set 3

**Claim:** Brook

**Words: **418

**Rating: **T

**Warnings: **None

**AN:** I'm trying to get a similar approach to death as Brook, thereby being able to live a long and happy life without being distracted by fear of dying. I advise you try it! Reviews are welcome!

''I'm going to die'' he thought. ''After tricking death so spectacularly, this is how I am going to die.'' The skeleton that was falling off of the ghost ship was too old and too tired to feel really petrified of the prospect of death. After he had gone through all this once before.  
Contrary to common belief dieing was neither painful nor exciting. Death comes quickly and then all consciousness leaves. In his first case of dieing, though, consciousness had come back to him and he had been given a second chance at fulfilling his dreams, thanks to the devil-fruit he had eaten.

What was true though, was that his entire life flashed before his eyes in the instances he spent falling towards the waves below. Not even this was very new to him. The last time it had actually been quite thrilling, but this time around the novelty had worn off and since all he had done since returning to his bony corpse was sail around on a ghost ship in agonising solitude, there was no thrill in reliving the most prominent moments of his life. He was touched though, when he saw the small wale again. And his former captain and crew. ''I have let you down my friends. Laboon, I'm so sorry.''

Time almost seemed to halt. Everything became eerily quiet. The waves beneath him weren't crashing anymore but only minimally moving. The wind whizzing past his skull (for he had no ears yohohoho) had become only a small draft. He was hardly even falling. ''I cannot give up'' he thought ''At least I have to fight!''

His falling speed excelerated back to normal and the skeleton couldn't honestly say that he had actually slowed down, but he began flailing all his limbs, preparing for the cold rush that he wouldn't really feel without skin, but he couldn't help preparing for a sensation that was so natural for most of his life. But that sensation never came.

Instead of plunging into the floods he was now running on top of the water. He didn't dare stopping his erratic movements so he circled his ship without any real control over his new ability until he could finally grab a frayed rope and pull himself back onto the vessel. He lay panting on the deck, grinning wildly, though neither of these actions were possible without either lungs or lips. ''I shall get to you my dear friend, not even the Grand Line itself can stop me!''


	5. Chapter 5

**Title: **Modern technology

**Theme: **#5 Den Den Mushi, Set 3

**Claim:** Brook

**Words: **628

**Rating: **K+

**Warnings: **None (except for possibly the AN)

**AN: **I might add at this point, that for me Den Den Mushi is one of those names that make me laugh childishly because of what that word means in German. Muschi is German for pussy with the exact same implications. Therefore it's a bit of innuendo for me and in case you're wondering why Brook is blushing, I thought he might feel the same.

Usopp was out on the grass deck of the Thousand Sunny, enjoying the nice weather and tinkering with his Kabuto, trying to adjust the thrust behind the dials connected to it. He had his tongue between his teeth and was concentrating very hard, when a sudden and loud shriek from the lounge had him nearly biting his tongue of in shock. Startled he turned to the door waiting for something else to happen when he heard Brook stammering in utter shock. Even though he was mildly afraid and a bit nervous to come face to face with whatever had got the skeleton in such a state, seeing as Brook himself was already very scary, he ventured over to the slightly open door and dared a peek through the crack. Inside he could see Brook hiding behind a pillar staring at the table, every bone in his skeleton jittering. Not seeing any imminent danger Usopp stepped inside and carefully approached his crew-mate. ''What's up?'' he asked tentatively, but still startling his crew-mate, causing him to jump and scream, which in turn made Usopp scream as well. After turning around to see who had snuck up on him Brook asked Usoppe in a frantic voice ''What are you doing?'' ''I could ask you the same thing!'' Usopp replied in with just as nervous a tone. ''That thing there,'' Brook answered, slightly hushed and pointing at the table ''it suddenly started speaking!'' Usoppe followed the direction of Brooks index-bone to see what he was talking about. ''What? The table started talking to you?'' ''No! The thing on it, that snail!''

Usopp went over to the table not quite understanding what Brook was on about when lo and behold he found a small snail sitting on the table top. ''Huh, what's Nami's mini Den Den Mushi doing here?'' he mused. ''Nami's what?'' Brook burst out and when Usopp turned around to him with the snail in his hand he had the feeling Brooks skull had turned a little bit pink... he must be imagining things. ''Have you never seen a Den Den Mushi before?'' Usopp asked reading the interest and shock in Brook's expression. ''No, what does it do?'' ''It's for communication. This type of snail is telepathically connected to it's mates so you can use them to speak to someone in a completely different place. Come to think of it. They were only discovered about twenty years ago, I could imagine you had no such technology when you first got lost in the Florian Triangle.''

Brook looked at the little snail with fascination written all over his gaze. ''Do you think... do you think I could contact Crocos at reverse mountain with this?'' he asked tentatively. Usopp thought for a second, he didn't know how to break the news to his crew-mate. ''I'm sorry, Brook, this is only a mini Den Den. They're a lot less powerful than the big ones, so I don't think we'd reach him from here.'' He gave Brook a sympathetic look.

''Never mind,'' the skeleton said, not wanting to upset his friend, ''it's even better this way. I'm sure it won't be that much longer until we get back. What are a couple of months compared to fifty years, and when I do get back to Laboon I want to be able to tell him that I made it all the way. But really, this tiny thing is utterly fascinating. I'd have never expected something as useful as this to be around'' he added with a small chuckle and Usopp was glad to have been able to share a more serious moment with the skeleton. With all his antics Usopp rarely realised what a life and story Brook has lived through before becoming part of their crew.


	6. Chapter 6

**Title: **Once upon a Decembre

**Theme: **#17 Dance, Set 3

**Claim:** Brook

**Words: **1005

**Rating: K  
**

**Warnings: **None

**AN****: **There's a lot of Nami in this one, but it's nothing slashy. There'll also be a little continuation, with a different theme but it's only a two parter. The song is from the animated movie_ Anastasia_ and really pretty, I recommend you listen to it.

Nami woke up in the middle of the night with a start. She was actually sitting upright in her bed , but she had no explanation for her racing heart and the slight sheen of sweat on her forehead . She tried to silence her breathing loud so she could listen intently to the night in case her instincts were trying to warn her of an intruder or some other danger. There was no sound to be heard so she decided it must have been a nightmare.

Since joining the crew had become these far less frequent. But after the occurrences on Thriller Bark, with all her Nakama so close to death and the weird atmosphere that surrounded Zoro and some of her other Nakama which she just could not grasp had given her uneasy nights for the last couple of weeks .

_You really need to get a grip on that,_ she told herself. _We're almost at the red line and you'll have to be levelheaded and prepared for what ever is to come._

The thought of her obligations to her crew calmed her down a little. She took a look around the room. Robin was lying curled up on her side, her back facing Nami. The navigator had taken a little time getting used to how eerily and unnaturally quiet the archaeologist was when she slept , but Nami suspected it was a habit Robin had adopted when on the run , that had been so hard in training that it was just as difficult to get rid of.

Her heart rate had gone back to normal, but she was wide awake now. She decided to venture to the galley for a glass of milk, in the hopes that could make her sleepy again. When She got outside on deck she could see that there was light in the aquarium bar, so she sidetracked to see who her fellow insomniac was. When she got closer she could already discern from the outside who it was, and she was not in the least surprised. She could here the smallest melody through the wood door, produced by the pressure put on the soft small hammers, that lightly hit the strings of the grand piano Frnaky And Brook had built together for the barroom . It was beautiful.

Brook was sitting at the piano, idly hitting random keys, constructing a spontaneous tune, driven by his melancholic mood. He stopped when he heard the door to the deck creaking and turned around. In the doorway stood Nami, Still dressed in her pajamas looking a bit guilty for having interrupted him.

'' That was beautiful , Brook , do you mind if I listen in? ''

'' But of course not Nami-san, come right in and make yourself comfortable! ''

Nami closed the door quietly and walked over to the round the long sofa, sitting down on it and comfortably draping herself over the back so she could watch Brook play.

The music started up and the two fell into a comfortable relative silence.

'' How come you are up at such an ungodly hour, Nami-san, if I may ask? '' Brook said in a low voice, never braking the movement of his finger -bones .

'' I don't know, I just woke up and then couldn't go back to sleep. What about you? You seam to be up at night quite often. ''

Brook turned to look at her. ''I really enjoy being on this crew. I owe you all so much, and I couldn't be more happy, but it also takes some getting used to. ''

Nami gave him an understanding but mildly exasperated look that seemed to say _tell me about it!_

'' It is a nice thing, though ,'' Brook continued, '' after all these years of solitude I lie awake at night listening to the sounds the others are making and could not be more exhilarated by the fact that I've finally found new Nakama. Then I come here and play some music, to calm my emotions. After a while I'm usually in a sleepy mood after that. ''

He smiled at Nami and it tugged at heart here . She smiled back at him. While the music was playing on she considered how happy she felt, that their small crew could be of such great consolation to so many, both outside and inside the crew itself.

''Also ,'' Brook interrupted the silence that had lapsed between them , again ,'' I don't actually need to sleep , I'm dead. Yohohohoho'' he cackled, pleased with his joke.

Nami face- palmed .

''Nami-san,'' his voice had taken back on the low reminiscent tone of just before, '' maybe a song would help to put you to sleep again. Are there any lullabies you like? One from your childhood, perhaps. Those seem to work the best. ''

''Mmhh,'' Nami considered ''my mother always sang one to us that was called 'Once Upon a December'''

''I regret to say I do not know that one, but perhaps if you sang it to me , I could play it for you in turn.''

Nami began, humming at first, testing her voice and the melod , then went on with the lyrics.

_Dancing bears  
Painted wings  
Things I almost remember,  
And a song someone sings  
once upon a December _

After only a few bars Brook joined in with soft accompaniment, and after Nami had finished the first verse he was able to take over with nifty little variations.

Nami sung the song to the end, but Brook carried on playing and she started to become lost in her thoughts remembering Belleme 's voice and her singing it to Nojiko and Nami.

_Someone holds me safe and warm,  
Horses prance through a silver storm,  
Figures dancing gracefully ,  
across my memory,_

_Far away , long ago  
things I yearn to remember  
and a song someone sings  
Once upon a December_

_And a song someone sings  
Once upon a December _


	7. Chapter 7

**Title: ****Guardian of Sleep**

**Theme:**** #24 Guard**, Set 3

**Claim:** Brook

**Words: **516

**Rating: K**

**Warnings: **None

**AN:** This is the small continuation. I guess it's a point often made about Franky but hardly ever with Brook, I guess because he doesn't come across as very mature and gets on best with the youngest and silliest in the crew.

Do review, it's good for my ego!

Brook let his index-finger-bone rest on the key until the very last of the note had gone silent. He could still here it in his head though. When even that memory started to fade he let the key go and turned to look at Nami.

The young woman had gone to sleep, her head resting in her arms on the lounge table. Brook got up from his piano stool as silently as possible and wandered over to the sofa. He looked down at her peaceful face. The musician was glad he had been able to give her that peace. From the other end of the sofa he gathered a light blanket and carefully laid it across the Navigators shoulders.

He hesitated for a second, not sure whether he should go back to the cabins, but in the end decided to sit down across from her. He watched her sleep and noticed how much younger she looked, and how small.

Brook was well aware of his age at all times. In general very old people looked quite skeletal but he managed to top even that. Well he was in his eighties, after all, so his looks were almost fitting. He kept on observing the girl, because, as strong as they were and how maturely they handled every horrible thing the world flung at them, they were really still children in his eyes. Even Franky and Robin were youngsters compared to him. They had most of their lives still ahead of them. He had been double their age when he was captain of the Rumba Pirates.

And still, even though he was that much older than them he cared deeply for them as he knew they did for him.

Brook didn't have children, at least none he knew of and therefore he never had grandchildren either, but he suspected the love and utter pride he felt for these kids must be what it was like to be a grandfather. To be part of a family.

Nami sighed contentedly in her sleep pulling Brook away from his thoughts. A smile tugged at the sides of his lips, that weren't their anymore, but he could still feel after all those years.

He wasn't even sure he'd prefer a 'real' family over than this one.

The first rays of sun to come in through the porthole saw Nami still resting on the table and Brook sitting patiently opposite her, having guarded the girl's sleep all night.


	8. Chapter 8

**Title: **Leaving

**Theme: **#30 Rebel, Set 3

**Claim:** Brook

**Words: **156

**Rating: T**

**Warnings: **None

When Brook was seventeen he had enough of his father and the music school and even though he was a straight A student he packed his bags, stole money out of the school safe, took as many music sheets as he could gather into his small satchels and headed out into the world with a guitar slung over his back, his violin case in one hand and and a duffel bag filled with all his belongings in the other.

He didn't want to go back. It wasn't like he hadn't been treated well or appreciated. On the contrary, outside of school his father was always caring and loving, his fellow students admired him and he would be playing at least two concerts a month. But what he missed was an artists hardships. You couldn't write about suffering and broken hearts and make your listeners cry for your pain if all you had ever been was mollycoddled.


	9. Chapter 9

**Title: **Punk Rock Revelation

**Theme: **#4 Brother, Set 3

**Claim:** Brook

**Words: **502

**Rating: T**

**Warnings: **Language!

**AN:** I usually don't add more than one chapter in a go (I don't want to cheat myself out of the reviews (that I still don't get... fishing for compliments, anyone?)). But the last chapter was so short so here I go. Points for those who get the reference (though I really hope, that's everybody, 'cause they are painfully obvious!)

The first big city he got to was a dirty place. Tall buildings were built higher than anything he had ever seen in the small town he had lived in for all his life. People were bustling along the streets knocking into him even though he was intimidatingly tall. He found it utterly enchanting. All the sounds around him mounted an orchestral cacophony of city life. The voices of street vendors shouting, the animals in the market place being sold and used as transport, there were even the odd street-musicians playing quietly to small crowds. He had never seen so many people.

After a while the impressions overwhelmed him and Brook decided to head a little away from the center to find somewhere to stay for the night.

When he turned into a small alleyway he promptly stumbled over something and landed in an undignified pile on the ground with all his belongings scattered around him. On reflex he started checking the state his instruments were in before even noticing that he had bumped his head enough for it to result in a cut. While he was tentatively looking over his guitar he noticed that the pile of, he guessed, rags he had just fallen over started to groan and move.

''Ngh...Ugh...rrrrrr. Huuuuhhhhuuuunghmnghmnghm'' the pile went and started to untangle itself to reveal two scruffy and very hungover looking youngsters.

''It's too fuckin' early, the sun's still up!'' one of them complained in a voice that sounded like he gargled with rocks on a regular basis, but judging by his look Brook guessed it was more likely whiskey.

Before the young musician had a chance to react to the accusation that had been implied in the dirty man's, both their mood had changed rapidly when they noticed Brook's instrument.

''Woah, what a brilliant axe 'ave you got 'ere? Lemme see!'' The one that had shouted at him knelt down right next to him and carefully took it out of Brooks hands. Recognising how skilled the other man was handling his guitar Brook was not in the least worried that anything would happen to it. Also seeing as the man was most likely a musician himself he was glad to have stumbled across him.

''I'm Brook. Yes, I received this guitar as a gift from my father.''

''Fancy lingo you've there'' the man who had been talking all the time observed good humouredly.

''The name's Jonny Cotton, and this silent bloke 'ere is my brother in arms, booze and music, Sid Wishes. You up for a session?''

And that was how Brook first started playing in a band. It was not a very glamorous music and nothing like he had played before. There were very few chords, the melodies were harsh and monotone and the gigs he played usually ended in utter chaos, but Brook loved every minute of it. Playing with the Vex Pistols was one of the most enthralling experiences of Brooks life, before becoming pirate, but that is another story.


	10. Chapter 10

**AN: **Been a while, but I'm still on it... as always I enjoy feedback of any kind.

**Title:** The sacrifices we make

**Theme:**#13 Sacrifice, Set 3

**Claim:** Brook

**Words: **306

**Rating: T  
**

**Warnings: **None really, a bit angsty maybe.

Brook felt horrible. You would, if you were alone on a ghost ship with the remains of your crew decomposing around you. Well most of them were only skeletons by now but their was still some rotting flesh on some of them. For a short second he was glad he couldn't smell anything but soon retracted that thought when he remembered why he couldn't smell. He was a bloody skeleton and had only a freakish hole in is face where his nose used to be. He had died, of that he was sure, but after that things were hazy. Looking at the state of himself, his crew mates and his ship, he assumed he had been gone for several years. And now he was back. After his friends had sacrificed himself so as to let him make use of his Devil's-Fruit power and find his way back to Laboon. Or was it him who was sacrificing himself. He would never feel again, never taste again, never smell again and... _Oh God_... would he never hear again? He hardly dared trying but, knowing he couldn't have any vocal-chords anymore, but he concentrated and said the first thing that came to mind

_Laboon_

He waited. He thought he had heard it but he just couldn't be sure. Was it just the voice in his own head? He tried again:

''LABOON'' he shouted and with satisfaction noticed that he had scared off an albatross.

That was definitely a relief. Ok, he couldn't be this negative. Not he was making the sacrifice. His friends were all prepared to die so as to make sure that their captain would find the tiny wale they had left at reverse mountain and he would honour that sacrifice as best he could. He immediately got to work, he had quite a big ship to navigate.


End file.
